Spent ammunition chute for gun turrets



July 27, 194. H. D. HUEY ETAL SPENT AMMUNITION CHUTE FOR GUN TURRETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 12, 1941 FIG. 1

INVENTORS. HOMER D. HUEY BY GEORGE F. TOWNER ATTORNEY H. D. HUEY ET AL SPENT AMMUNITION CHUTE FOR GUN TURRETS M 27, ms.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 12, 1941 m wE ATTORNEY July 27, W4. H. D. HUEY ETAL 2$45,853

SPENT AMMUNITION CHUTE FOR GUN TURRETS Original Filed April 12, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS. HOMER D. HUEY BY GEORGE F. TOWNER ATTORNEY .My 27, 1948. H. D. HUEY ET AL 2,445,353

SPENT AMMUNITION CHUTE FOR GUN TURRETS Original Filed April 12, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS.

HOMER D. HUEY BY GEORGE F. TOWNER ATTORNEY Patented July 27, 1948 UNITED STATES TENT QFHCE SPENT AMMUNITION CHUTE FOR GUN TURRETS Homer 1). Huey, Baltimore, and George F.

Townes,

Raspeburg, Md.,

assignors to The Glenn L. Martin Company, Middle River, MCL, a corporation of Maryland 3 Claims.

The invention relates to gun turrets, and particularly to power operated turrets.

This application is a division of Serial No. 388,255, filed April 12, 1941.

One object of the invention is to provide a power operated gun turret having two guns and a large ammunition space, which is 50 arranged as to be very compact and thus to require relatively little space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gun mounting for a turret which permits movement and aiming ofthe gun through a very substantial angle without movement either of the turret or of the body of the gunner. More particularly, this part of the invention contemplates the mounting of a sight, and its connection to the gun, in such a manner that it moves about an axis which passes through the neck of a gunner within the turret, so that by merely tilting his head he can follow the sight.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which permits the carrying within the turret of a large quantity of ammunition.

An additional object of the invention is to provide, in a turret which turns in azimuth and in which the gun turns in elevation, an ammunition supply carried by the turret and a flexible feed mechanism of simple construction for feeding ammunition from the supply to the guns whatever may be the elevation of the guns.

Still another object of the invention is to produce a simple and effective control for a turret.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig 1 shows in side elevation a turret embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view, showing the principal elements and their relationship, particularly the mounting of the guns and gun sight.

The turret includes a ring member 2 carrying rollers 4 which run on a track 6 carried by a vehicle ll. The turret body Ill is dome-shaped, and is preferably formed of a transparent material. This dome extends out of the vehicle. It is provided with two parallel slots to permit movement of the guns I2. At one side of the turret is a downwardly extending curved sheet [4 of metal, shaped to provide a back and sides for a seat. The seat bottom it is hinged at [8 and is held in place by a suitable catch 20. This provides a space by which the gunner can stand in firing position if desired, and also gives an easy means of entrance and exit to and from the turret. The seat is reinforced by tubes 22 of metal extending downward from ring 2.

At the opposite side, the ring 2 has a downward shield portion 2 of armor plate. This supports a foot rest 26 and an ammunition box 28, Upstanding from opposite sides of the ring are ears, supports or frame portions 38, for the guns. A plate 32 extends inwardly from the ring 2 on the side opposite the seat I6.

The guns I? are mounted on pivots 34 between ears 3!! and uprights 36 carried by plate 32. The butts of the guns are arranged on opposite sides of seat l6, so that the gunner actually sits between the guns. Each gun is carried by a frame 38, which engages pivots 34, through a suitable adjusting mechanism Ml so that the elevation and azimuth angles of the gun with respect to the frame can be varied.

Ring 2 also carries two frames 42 extending forward on opposite sides of seat I6. Pivoted at 44 on frames i2 is a U-shaped member comprising top and bottom U-shaped members 46 and 48 respectively, joined together by members 50 and 52 to form a rigid U-shaped frame which supports a standard prismatic gun sight 54. Links 56 are pivoted at 58 and 60 to cause the U-shaped frame carrying the gun sight, to pivot about it when the gun is elevated. The points 34, 44, 6B and 58 form a parallelogram so that elevation of the gun produces the same elevation of the sight.

It will be noted that the axis of pivots M for the U-shaped frame pass substantially through the neck of a gunner seated on seat l6. Thus the gunner is able, by merely tilting his head. to follow the sight at all times. This of course reduces the space necessary for the operation of the guns.

The guns are elevated by a suitable electrical mechanism. For example, gun frames 38 are provided with rigid gear segments 62. These mesh with gears 64 on a shaft 65 carried on uprights 68 from plate 32. Shaft 66 is driven through gear 10 by a gear 12 on a small shaft '14. Shaft 14 in turn is driven through gear 16 by a worm 18 on the shaft of motor 80, carried by plate 32.

A second motor 82 is provided for rotating the turret. Its shaft carries a gear 8 5 which meshes at an angle with gear 86 on shaft 88. A gear 90 on shaft 80 meshes with a rack 92 fixed in the vehicle.

Motor 80'is controlled by a rheo'stat 94 having a depending operating lever 90 pivoted about a horizontal axis at 90. On this lever is mounted a rheostat I for controlling motor 82. The shaft I02 is turnable about a vertical axis to control this rheostat by spaced handles I06 on a cross bar I06. With this arrangement, the gunner can change the guns in azimuth by turnin shaft I02, and in elevation byrocking lever 90. Of course, stick triggers I08 are provided on handles I0 l. Also provided on the left hand handle I04 is a master switch I05 called the deadman switch, which is operated by the heel of the hand in the same manner as the safety bar on an automatic pistol. If this switch is not closed by pressure of the hand, the turret cannot be operated. Convenient to the thumb of the right handon cross bar I00 is mounted a high-speed button I01 which, when depressed, multiplies the speed of the turret and gun moving means for both azimuth and elevation.

In the usual machine gun, the magazine which holds the ammunition for the gun is rigid with the gun. This requires either a large structure to hold a great quantity of-shells, or frequent changing or-reloading of the magazine. Neither of these is practical in a small turret. The present invention therefore utilizes large, fixed ammunition boxes 28, with arrangements for feeding the guns therefrom at varying elevations. These consist of tube IIO of rectangular cross section extending from boxes 28, and servin as guides for cartridges I I2 carried by links I I4. The mouth II6 of each tube I I0 is spaced from the gun at a point opposite the receiving slot I I8 in the breech block, and slightly to the rear of the slot. The mouth-H6 isarranged so that, at an intermediate position of the gun in its angular movement in elevation, that is, between the solid line and broken line positions in Fig. 1, slot I I8 and mouth I I6 are parallel. forms an angle with slot IIB which is always less thanthe possible angular movement of the gun, and preferably does not exceed about half of such possible movement, being positioned so that a line parallel to its longitudinal axis substantiall bisects the-angular elevation range, Because of the space between mouth I I6 and slot I I8, the belt can twistto a-degree sufficient to permit proper feeding to the gun at all-times.

Ears 30 are shaped to provide discharge channels for the guns. These ears are hollow, and have openings in'their inner walls opposite the ejector to receive spent cartridge cases and links. Inasmuch as ejected cases are discharged from the bottom of the gun, a chute H9 is. built into frame 38 which changes the direction of travel of the ejected cases so that the cases then travel toward ears 30. With the interior of these cars, the discharge spouts I20 communicate, to conduct the cases and links to a point of discharge.

While we have described herein one embodiment of our invention, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to limit ourselves thereby except within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

l.- A gun turret comprising a ring member mounted to turn about an axis normal to the plane of said ring member, said ring member constituting the sole mounting means for the turret in a vehicle, a pair of spaced parallel guns pivotally secured to said ring member for turning in In other. words, mouth H6 elevation with respect to said ring member about an axis above the plane of said ring member transverse to said first mentioned axis, ammunition boxes'secured' to and depending from said ring member, a'rectangular ammunition chute mounted on said ring member extending from one of said ammunition boxes to a point adjacent but spaced from the breech of one of said guns to conduct belts of ammunition from the box to said gun, the end of said chute being so positioned with respect tosaid gun mount that a line parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the mount of said chute,--and intersecting the pivotal axis of said guns, substantially bisects the angular movement of the'gun about the second said axis.

2. A gun turret fora vehicle mounted for turning about a substantially vertical axis comprising an annular supporting member secured in said vehicle, an annular turret member constituting the sole mounting means for the turret in said vehicle mounted for turning in said annular supporting member, a pair of spaced parallel guns secured to said annular turret member, mounting means extending above said annular turret member to pivotally support said guns about an axis transverse to said first mentioned axis which includes a hollow duct member secured to said annular turret member, aifording a pivotal support on one side of each gun, an ammunition box for each gun depending from and supported by said annular turret member, a rectangular ammunition chute extending from said box to a point adjacent but spaced from the breech of said gun on the opposite side from said hollow member to conduct a belt of ammunition from said box to said gun; the end of said ammunition chute being so arranged that a line parallel with the longitudinal axis of the opening in the end thereof, and intersecting the pivotal axis of said guns, substantially bisects the angular movement of said. guns in elevation, said hollow member being located'close to .the butt end of the gun and having an opening large enough to span the portion of the gun carrying the ejector slot for all positions of thegun in elevation so that ejected cases and links are collected by said hollow member.

3; Agun turret for a vehicle mounted for turning about a substantially vertical axis comprising an annular supporting member secured in said vehicle, an annular turret structural member constituting the sole mounting means for the turret in said vehicle'mounted for turning in said annular supporting member, a pair of spaced parallel guns secured to said annular turret member, mounting means extending above said annular turret member to pivotally mount said guns about an axis transverse to said first mentioned axis, said mounting means on one side of said gun comprising a mounting bracket and on the other side of the gun said mounting means comprising a hollow duct member affording a pivotal support for said gun and having a portion with an opening therein, said portionincluding said opening being in a plane parallel to the side of the gun in which is mounted the ejector slot, said opening in said hollow member being large enough to span said ejector slot for all positions of the gun in elevation so that cases and links pass therethrough, an ammunition box for each gun depending from said annular structural member, a rectangular ammunition chute extending from said box to a point adjacent but spaced from the breech of said gun on the side opposite said hollow member to conduct a belt of ammunition from said box to saidgun, the end of said ammunition chute be- 5 6 ing so arranged that a, line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the opening in the end thereof and UNITED STATES PATENTS extended through the pivotal axis of said guns Number Name Date substantially bisects the angular movement of 2,243,365 Trotter May 2'7, 1941 said guns in elevation. 5 2,364,425 Corte Dec. 5, 1944 HOMER D. HUEY. TENT GEORGE F.TOWNER,. FOREIGN PA S Number Country Date REFERENCES CITED 639,060 Germany Nov. 27, 1936 The following references are of record in the 10 508397 Great Bnta'm June 1939 file of this patent: 

